Dårlig ulv
by Maetel
Summary: Before anyone asks, the title is in reference to the saddest scene in Doomsday... Yeah. Anyways, set two years after the series 2 finale, old happenings start to interfere in Rose's life, sending her running for her life.
1. Run

This is my very first Doctor Who fic, and at the beginning, it's going to seem like a crossover with the Doctor Who spinoff, Torchwood, but I'm not really planning on bringing in any of those characters aside from Jack. Hopefully everyone will enjoy this fic, and remember to please, read and reply. I like seeing what everyone thinks.

Now as a bit of back story, this is set two years after Doomsday. Rose has been working at Torchwood, as it was explained in the last ep. May be kinda spoilerish, but that might only be later for The Runaway Bride considering the new series doesn't start for a while now.

Dårlig ulv Bukt

By Maetel

_Light up, light up  
As if you have a choice  
Even if you cannot hear my voice  
I'll be right beside you dear  
_- "Run" by Snow Patrol

Run. It was the only thing she could think of doing. It was all she could do. She just had to run to keep a step ahead of the ones chasing her. Following her for something she couldn't even remember happening. She blacked out once and found herself needing to be rescued by Mickey and Preacher Jack. She knew it was a bad idea, working for Torchwood, but considering her history with them, her dad felt it would be a good idea.

There were times she wondered if she'd be able to see them again. What if Torchwood had gotten to her family as well. She didn't doubt that the company would go after them in order to get her to release herself. That was why she was running, hoping that she would buy them some time to get her message and get away.

Such was the life of Rose Tyler. The thought made her want to break down. At one time, she traveled through time and space with the man she knew only as The Doctor. She'd give anything to have that life back. She'd give anything for him to just give her some idea as to why people were after her. That didn't matter though. She knew that going back to that life was an impossibility. That didn't matter though. She just knew that he wouldn't want her to give up. Simply giving up to Torchwood would go against the person she'd become. The person The Doctor had helped her become.

She stopped when she felt a stitch in her side develop. She leaned against a building, hoping that she'd bought herself enough time, though knowing how luck liked to work out, her time wouldn't last long. She waited a while for the pain to subside, trying to come up with some sort of plan as to keep away from her former co-workers, people she thought might have been her friends at one point, but instead were now simply interested in cutting her apart and finding out-

Rose's head hurt when she tried to think about what had caused all of it. All she knew was that she'd not felt that sort of pain since… Never. The closest thing she could think of was a vague memory of a dream when she felt like she was going to burn.

The peroxide blonde could have sworn that her ears twitched when she heard the sound of Torchwood's vehicles. The distinctive hum of the engines was something that made her shiver. How many unlucky visitors had heard those engines before becoming property of Torchwood?

She shook her head. Now was no time to be thinking about that. She had to get away. She dashed towards the nearest street, slipping through alleys and tumbling over fallen rubbish bins. She fell once, her trainers sliding out from under her. The air was knocked out of her, causing her to lose valuable time. She didn't realize just how much time until she started running again.

Rose looked behind her and saw that soon, she wouldn't be able to out run the vehicles anymore. That didn't stop her. She wouldn't let herself be stopped. Anything was better than being a lab rat. Even death.

"_Rose Tyler. Give yourself up now. Our agents will soon have you surrounded," _blared through a loudspeaker as one agent stuck his head out of a window. Dominic Murphy always was a good guy, but apparently his work meant more to him than some chav who he'd gone out to dinner with once. Though she didn't blame him. She had barely paid him a bit of attention that night, and when he had tried to invite himself upstairs to her flat… Wounded pride was putting it lightly.

"Sorry, Dom," she muttered softly before she felt the burning pierce of a laser strike her on her left side, just below her ribs causing her to fall forward onto the ground. She curled up painfully, her hands moving to the wound, trying to cover it, though the slippery substance… She almost wanted to cry when she realized that the wound was bleeding. She'd always been so careful. The worst wound she'd gotten in the years since she'd traveled with The Doctor was a paper cut. She'd forgotten what such intense pain had felt like.

She felt the urge to black out creeping up on her, accompanied by a strangely familiar warmth. Her consciousness slipped from her as four words slipped from her, confusing even Rose with the lack of knowledge as to where they came from- "Help me, my Doctor."

------------------------------------------------

As the Torchwood agents were about to apprehend the unconscious blonde, a brilliant golden light encompassed her entire form, blinding the agents. The covered their eyes, trying to preserve their sight.

As the shine faded, they uncovered their eyes, only to see that the only thing left of Rose Tyler was an indention in the show with a few drops of blood tinting the virginal whiteness.


	2. Porcelain Doll

­­Note: This chapter takes place between episodes 11 and 12 of Torchwood. Mainly because I still hadn't seen episodes 12 and 13 before starting it.

* * *

Dårlig ulv  
By Maetel

Chapter 2

_Why doesn't anyone stay here?  
Why do they leave me?_

- "Porcelain Doll" by Megan McCauley

* * *

Jack had been mucking about the Torchwood hub for two hours, since he'd sent everyone home for the evening. He'd even dispatched Ianto. The man had seemed rather worried, but Jack did his best to put the man's worries aside. Ianto seemed to believe him and left without saying much.

Since then, Jack was feeling restless. Like something was about to happen, and he had no idea what. There was a pair of matching buzzes, one in his chest and one in the back of his head. He shook his head, trying to ease the sensation, and drank a few beers he kept in his living area. Nothing helped.

Eventually, he'd resigned himself to going over old case reports concerned with the Weevil fight club that Owen had almost been killed at. He still couldn't believe how foolish he'd been acting. Didn't anyone realize how much life was worth anymore? Even Gwen, the promising one, seemed to be letting the job take over everything, even after she'd told him that she wouldn't let that happen. There were times he really hated Torchwood. The sleepless nights didn't help, not that he had much of a choice. Hadn't really needed sleep since-

Thoughts were cut short by the sound of the alarms going off, alerting him that something was falling through the rift. In an instant, he was at Tosh's work station, noting where the rift had opened, which was surprisingly close, and contacted the others before heading towards the exits. He didn't even have to go to the SUV. He walked out of the door and allowed the platform to lift him up to where he saw a faint golden glow seeping through the tear in space and time.

He walked towards the light slowly before noticing an unmoving figure lying on the ground beneath it. He drew his revolver and carefully moved nearer to the body, wondering if she, from what Jack could tell, had been an innocent victim or the reason the rift had opened. Either way, he was going to be careful. Inability to stay dead was one thing. Getting injured was another. And there was the fact that the buzzing he was experiencing was getting stronger. That might prove to be too much of a distraction if he wasn't careful.

As Jack drew nearer, he noticed there was a pool of liquid beneath the woman that was slowly growing. He had seen the answer to his question. Something had attacked her, wounded the woman, and badly if the amount of blood was any way to determine the answer. He knelt down beside the woman, hearing a soft groan of pain escape the petite figure.

Jack placed a gentle hand on the woman's shoulder, and as though touching a flame, he wrenched his hand away, as though he were burned. The buzzing had stopped. The moment he'd made contact with the petite woman's frame, the sensation has dispersed. This is what he knew was supposed to happen. The only thing he didn't know was how. He looked at the hand he'd touched her with and noticed a soft faint glow fading away. He looked up to where the rift had opened and realized that the colors were one and the same

A frown formed on his face, and deciding not to waste another moment, Jack took his phone from the inside pocket of his military style jacket he wore and was pulling up Tosh's number, but put the thought aside as Gwen pulled up in her little blue car. He called out to the brunette as he took a moment to try and she where the blood was pouring from, but she was lying on her injured side, "We've got a woman injured here. We need to get her inside and patch her up fast."

Carefully, he turned the woman onto her side, trying to not injure her any further. He saw that she was still breathing, but when he took a moment to see the victim's face, it was him whose breath had stopped. His one remaining question had been answered, leaving more in its wake. Lying before him was… It couldn't have been her, but he knew that face, even if it did look a little older. Here was Rose Tyler, who was supposed to be dead, instead, possibly dying if something wasn't done soon.

Gwen rushed over to the pair and looked at Jack. "I got here as fast as I could. Was she attacked by something that came through the rift?"

Jack shook his head, though the expression on his face made it clear that he wasn't exactly sure what was going on. He shook his head, his face going blank as he looked at the newest member of his team. "We need to get her inside. She's lost a lot of blood, and we need to get her taken care of."

"Then shouldn't we get her to the hospital?" the dark haired woman replied softly. "If she's lost a great deal of blood, then-"

"No. This girl has been listed as dead for three years. Taking her into the hospital will cause more problems than what we need to deal with. We need Owen to take a better look at the wound to see what caused it, but right now all that matters is getting her inside and stopping the bleeding," Jack snapped, his voice hurried, never giving Gwen a moment to interrupt.

The former constable simply nodded and watched Jack take off his jacket and drape it over the girl's helpless form. She couldn't help but note the way her leader was acting. She'd never seen him give off such an air of worry, even if he tried to keep his feelings from reaching his expression. He'd not acted in such a manner towards anyone. Then again, if what he said was true, that the girl had been listed as dead, then she didn't blame him.

Jack carefully lifted Rose, sighing a bit in relief when he heard her groan softly. It was a sign that she wasn't too far. That she might be strong enough to wake up and possibly explain how she'd gotten back. Now, the real question- Where was the Doctor in all of this?

He carried her down into the Torchwood hub and to the only place he could think of- the autopsy area. There wasn't actually any sort of infirmary in the building , and that didn't leave many other places unless he wanted the weevils howling for blood. Besides, he didn't want to expose her to too much since he wasn't sure what she'd been through recently. He wasn't even sure how many years had passed for her. Not too many since she barely looked older than when he'd last seen her. Then again, he'd barely changed, and he'd been alive for… Well, he didn't want to think about how many years he'd seen pass.

Gently placing the young traveler onto the table, he called Gwen down to help him, figuring that it might take the other agents a more than a few minutes to arrive. Looking to the brunette, he sighed. "I want you to keep pressure on the wound while I try to find the first aid kit in my office. Hopefully, cleaning it will buy some time for the others to get here. Give us some idea what happened to her."

She nodded and he quickly went to get the supplies as well as a hypodermic needle and a small vial of something to keep Rose from feeling pain should she wake up, though he doubted that would happen.

As they worked quickly, neither he nor Gwen noticed the entrance of Tosh and Owen until the Asian woman started towards the autopsy area. "What's happened Jack? Did somethi-" She cut herself short when she saw Jack and Gwen bent over a wounded woman, wounded only because she was still wearing a bra and, for the clincher, bleeding a bit from a nasty looking wound on her side.

Owen silently stood beside Tosh, taking in what was happening. From what he could see, the wound on her side didn't look like something that could be explained by claws to the flesh. Or teeth. It looked almost like a burn mark, but-

"What could have caused the wound?" he asked, putting his thoughts into words.

"I don't know. First glance gives the impression that it might have been caused by some sort of gun, but there's no sort of bullet, and I've not seen any laser wound that's looked like this before. Usually those are a bit cleaner," Jack stated. "That's wha-"

The living mystery was cut off when he heard the wounded blonde speak. Her voice was faint, and he could barely make it out, but from what he could tell, she'd said something along the lines of, "My doctor…"

"Rose?" he said softly, lowering himself so that he was looking at the girl's face. He could tell that her eyes were open, though they were glazed. There was a faint golden glow in the irises, giving Jack a faintly haunted feeling.

When Rose heard him, her gaze cleared faintly, but he could tell that she was aware enough to know who he was. She frowned a bit, a perplexed look on her face. "Jack? How are you here? I thought…" She groaned a bit, clenching her eyes shut to block out the pain that came as she tried to finish the sentence. "Where is he? Where's the-"

"Shh…" he whispered softly. Any one who knew the girl could probably guess what she was going to ask. Especially after starting a person's title with "the." He wasn't going to tell her that he didn't know. Better give the girl some time to recuperate before telling her that he'd not seen the man in far too many years. "Just try to relax. We can talk once you're taken care of, all right?"

"Jack, pl-"

"I promise, we'll talk once you're stronger," he told her, giving her a smile that he hoped would make her agree. Others had agreed to more when that smile was flashed. And they were usually in better shape than the girl was at the moment.

Rose simply sighed, too tired to continue trying to get the man to talk. She knew that if there was something he didn't want to talk about, he wouldn't. She knew that, and she hated him for it. They'd traveled together. She'd considered him family, and now, he was keeping the most important piece of information from her. So much for-

The blonde's thoughts were cut short by the feeling of gentle fingers on her skin, followed by a cloth. She'd not realized how hot her skin was until the cold of the material brushed against the wound she knew was there. It was hard to forget the sensations caused by a second generation energy gun designed to take out a Cyberman when on its highest setting

She was almost glad that it happened though. She knew she was back in her world. When she was first working for Torchwood, she looked up everyone she knew in her travels. Captain Jack Harkness hadn't even existed. The only records was a small boy who'd been murdered during an attack on the middle and northern parts of North America. They'd won, but the casualties were more than Rose had ever considered. A Phyrric victory if she'd ever heard of one.

"You're going to be all right," came a soft sounding feminine voice from behind her. Rose looked back at her, expression confused due to the woman's words, though that changed into a look of disbelief. She had never been a believer of reincarnation, but the woman looked too much like the young maid, Gwyneth. The woman who'd chosen to sacrifice herself in order to save her "angels."

"What?" Rose replied, finally snapping out of her reverie.

"You looked like… well… Like you were thinking of something that you shouldn't be. Like something bad, as silly as that sounds," she said.

"Oh… No… Just remembering something," Rose whispered.

"Nothing bad I hope, considering how you were staring at me," Gwen quipped, trying to lift the girl's spirits, though she had to admit that it was rather annoying. The longer the girl had been looking at her, the more and more her stomach seemed to clench up and her head started to hurt. There were odd flashes… Images in the woman's mind. They were so familiar, but too distant to be clear. Angels and blue. And the scent of gas. She had to take a step away from the table to try and clear her head.

"Gwen, you all right?" she heard Jack ask, bringing her attention back to the matter at hand.

She nodded her head slowly, looking over to Rose only to see that the woman's eyes were closed. She'd fallen asleep thanks to the pain killer that had been injected. That wasn't what was bothering Gwen though. Instead, it was the question how long had her eyes been like that?

She looked to Jack when she felt his hand on her shoulder. He looked her in the eye and told her, "Maybe you should head back home. If anything needs taken care of, we'll call you. I have a feeling that Rhys is wondering where you are right now. Besides, if I'm right, the answer to the question about the rift is laying on that table. I'll find out once Owen checks her wounds out more closely. If she's not the answer, then I'll contact you."

The constable turned special ops tried to come up with some sort of argument, but considering what she'd seen already, whether it was real or not, she might want to consider getting some rest. She sighed. "All right, but let me know if there's any change. If she came through the rift-"

"I will. Now go." Jack was surprised by the fact the woman didn't put up more of a fight, but it suited him just fine for the moment. Hopefully Owen wouldn't prove himself to be such a pain. "Owen get down here. I want you to see if you can get any sort of idea what might have caused this wound."

The team's doctor slowly made his way down, moving over to the woman's side. He looked down at her face, before looking over to his boss. "It doesn't look like any sort of gun or laser we've seen from what I could tell-"

"Then take a closer look at it. I'm not asking you to do much, but this girl needs our help, and if you even try to keep from helping her, I assure you, you'll wish I had been merciful enough to have let that Weevil rip your throat out," Jack snapped.

The question of why the girl drew such behavior out of the normally distant Captain ran through Owen's mind. Not even the faerie victims drew this sort of reaction out of him.

Owen didn't say anything though. Instead, he washed his hands and carefully put on a pair of gloves so that he could examine her wound without risking her any sort of infection. He carefully ran his fingers along the outer part of the abrasion, taking note of burn marks of varying degree. He had to say that the girl was lucky. No vitals hit, but it had been close. Just another inch or less over and she might not have survived.

Meanwhile, Jack had moved up into the main area of the hub, pacing a bit as he waited for Owen to finish. Looking towards the one remaining member, he nodded towards her station and said, "Tosh, I want you to do a search for any files concerning a Rose Tyler from London, specifically, the Powell Estates. Mother's name was Jackie Tyler."

"Right, Jack," said the computer genius of the group. She quickly set off to work, but wasn't quite sure what she could learn that Jack didn't already know.

* * *

Hey everyone. Sorry for the wait, but I had the hardest time writing this chapter. Anyways, don't worry. The Doctor will be making his appearance very soon. And thanks to those who reviewed. They were greatly appreciated. :)


	3. Song

Dårlig ulv 

By Maetel

Chapter 3

_Well I woke up today and your on the other side  
Our time will never come again  
- Song For Ten, composed by Murray Gold_

When Rose woke, she found herself back on the Game Station. Her head was tingling- Buzzing, though it was quickly growing worse. She could swear that she could feel every molecule of her head- skull, brain and nerves, moving. The friction was making her head feel like it was going to combust any moment, and she didn't know why. All she did know was that the most beautiful song as streaming through her mind, providing a background noise to the images that were going through her head.

They were numerous and few. The Doctor regenerating into the man she'd last seen. The Doctor not regenerating but they still continue on with the life they led. Her dying soon and the Doctor once again being alone, just as when she'd met him. The Doctor being-

Something erased that thought from her mind before it could finish working itself out, but there wasn't a moment for anything else to come to mind as she heard the booming voice of the Dalek Emperor fill her ears. She heard another voice, which she found rather disarming considering the voice was hers. She couldn't control what the voice is saying, but what it does…

The Doctor had scared her during her first encounter with a Dalek. The look in his eyes had been one of a mad passion. She almost wondered if her expression at that time had been the same as the one she saw on his face at that moment. He looked… Terrified. Is that what she'd inspi-

Had he just said something about the Time Vortex? She had… But the Doctor was the one who'd absorbed the Time Vortex. Not her… Right? This all had to be a bad dream then. She would have died if she'd absorbed it, and not sleeping.

Her sense of awareness shifted back to her surroundings as her gaze had moved from the Doctor to the Daleks, namely the hologram of the Dalek… The "God of all Daleks." She heard herself telling him how insignificant he truly was, and in that moment… He was. She was nothing and at the same time everything. She was seeing it all in her mind's eye, and never knew it. She could feel every bit of pain, every moment of ecstasy, and every gentle touch.

Now she wished she hadn't known it. She knew what was going to happen. The Doctor had told her that he'd sung a song and the Daleks ran away. She'd found the song, and now… He never told her the truth. Did he think she couldn't handle it?

Inside her mind, Rose screamed. In all truth, she couldn't handle it. She watched and felt as whatever was controlling her body was demolecularizing the entirety of the Dalek Fleet. It focused on their pain and used it as fuel, knowing that it was them or him. She wasn't going to lose him.

She could hear their screams throughout time and space. For the first time since ever encountering a Dalek, she pitied them. She wanted to cry for them. She kept trying to assert herself within her own mind, but whenever she tried, the song she heard grew louder until all she could hear was five little words that had shaped her life far too much: "I am the Bad Wolf."

And when the horrid chorale ended, Rose found that the task was done. Her head was burning all the more, feeling like something had set her mind aflame. She wanted it to stop, but she couldn't. But then, he did. The northern accent that made her feel so at home- so at peace with herself and everything. The one that she adored listening to before he'd- It was that thought that made her realize what was about to happen. She recalled nothing after finally managing to open the TARDIS' console and shortly before the Doctor regenerated. Now she knew why.

Bad Wolf. The two words that had haunted them throughout their journey, and now she knew what they were. They had been a message. She'd heard herself say that she'd sent the phrase throughout time and space, but never had she registered the significance of those words.

The power that she'd wielded. She controlled more than death. She wielded life like a brilliant weapon. Sparks of existence being returned to the dead. To Jack. It was too much. It was… She'd been the reason he'd absorbed the Time Vortex. She'd taken it as a part of herself in order to save him, though she was killing herself. Her head was… She was burning and she couldn't let go, despite how much she wanted to. Despite how much he urged her to. Was this why though? Was the reason she couldn't let go because she was watching it all happen?

She vaguely registered his words as she spoke. She was trying to regain control. To do something in order to keep the events she knew to have happened from taking place. She didn't want to let him die because of her. She felt her heart contract in her chest as he drew nearer, only for it to stop when she felt his lips on hers. She'd always wondered what it would have been like, and now that she knew, she almost hated herself for ever wondering.

As she felt him pulling back, she thought, 'I'm sorry…' before the world faded into blackness and soft sheets against her almost bare upper back and legs. Her head turned on one of the pillows as her eyes crept open, falling upon the door, through which a man stood half in and half out of the room. She heard the muffled sounds of voices and strained to make out what was being said.

"Don't worry. I'll contact you if anything happens," she heard Jack's voice say. He was the one standing in the door, probably trying to get everyone to leave her alone for the time being. She laid there, listening to him, but unmoving. The dream… vision? Whatever it was had left her shaken, and she wanted a bit of time to recover. To gather her thoughts and emotions. She sighed softly, but apparently it was enough to draw Jack's attention to her.

He turned his head and looked at her with a relieved smile on his face before closing the door behind him and walking up to her. "About time you woke up. I need to check on that wound of yours. See how well the belt did," he said, his tone playful and worried all at once. He sat down on the edge of the bed beside her, looking at her wound. He carefully pulled back the comforter and removed a piece of leather like material. Rose recognized it as a Diluran healing wrap, and wondered how Jack had gotten hold of it.

Once he seemed satisfied with how the belt had done, she all but lunged at him, wrapping her arms around his neck, clinging to him like a lost child to their parent. She felt him stiffen in response, as though unsure what had brought about this sort of reaction. She couldn't stop herself though, but this time she didn't want to stop. She felt tears fall from her eyes as images of her dream- vision? Images passed through her mind of him having died. He'd been like family to her in the end, and now she knew that he was all right. That he was safe and here, before her very eyes.

It took the peroxide blonde a moment to recollect herself. She wiped her eyes and sniffed softly. It was a little longer before she could look at him. She had to make sure that she was going to be able to look at him without bursting into tears at the memory of seeing him lifeless. But she had something that she needed to ask, and she couldn't let too long pass by.

Finally, she looked at him, a question in her eyes, but didn't know what to do when she saw that his attention was solely focused on her expression as well as just her. She looked down for a moment, avoiding the look in his eyes.

"I thought… Reports from after the attack on Canary Wharf had said that you died," he finally started, carefully pushing a strand of hair out of her eyes.

"I was trapped somewhere. They were opening a rift in space and time, and a lot of things went wrong-"

"Cybermen and Daleks," he interjected, letting her know that he had some idea as to what had gone on that day.

She nodded and cleared her throat. "Yeah. When the Doctor was trying to send them back through the rift, into the void, something went wrong with one of the switches. I was the closest person, so I had to try and fix it. I almost wound up being pulled through into Hell…"

"Almost? What happened?" Jack questioned. He could see that talking was hard for Rose, but he had to get some answers. The world didn't stop turning simply because someone was hurting. Dangers didn't stop coming through the rift because of one person.

"The other universe's version of my dad, the one who gave my mum and I a place to stay and work in my time there over the past couple of years, risked coming back through the rift in order to make sure nothing happened to me. He caught me before I fell through- Just as the rift was closing, and I was trapped in the other world," she said quickly, before her throat had the chance to close up too much.

She realized what being back in her world meant. No more seeing her family. No more mum, Pete, Mickey, or- Her little brother wouldn't be able to know his sister. She wouldn't be able to see him grow up. Mickey must be worrying sick about her. Last she'd told him was that she might have to go into hiding. That she might be in trouble and needed to get away from Torchwood for a while.

Jack saw the way her expression changed, felt a twinge of regret for making the woman before him cry. She'd been trapped away from everything for years, and now, if he understood correctly, she was denied of even her family.

"Jack," she said, drawing him from his thoughts. "Where is he? You told me we'd talk when I was stronger. I'm stronger, now please…"

Those pleading brown eyes. The eyes he'd managed to put to the back of his mind. Those gorgeous bedroom eyes that shone for the Doctor so often despite the attention he paid her during his time with them. He didn't have anything to distract him from their pull, and with a sigh, he gave in.

"I don't know," he told her. "Last time I saw either one of you was on the Game Station. The Doctor told me that he'd sent you home to where you'd be safe. The Daleks had over run the place and-"

"You'd been killed­­," she said, finishing his sentence for him. "You were dead, weren't you?"

"How did you… No body knows what happened except for maybe The Doctor," he told her. "You'd been sent home by that point."

She shook her head. "I… I don't know exactly what happened, but I found a way back to help him by using the power of the Time Vortex, or something like that. I… I did something stupid."

"Rose, what do you mean?" Jack asked, gently cupping her cheek, using his thumb to stroke away a stray tear that had managed to fall. "What happened? According to the Dalek Emperor, the Delta wave should have killed everything, but one moment, I'm fighting the Daleks with everything I have, and the next I'm alive all over again, and I hear the TARDIS leaving-"

"I'm so sorry about leaving you there. The Doctor… After he regenerated, he said that you were supposed to stay behind. Help rebuild Earth. After that, we discovered that something had gone wrong with his regeneration. At that point, I was scared out of my head and wanted nothing more than to go home, so we had to head back to Earth. We tried to go back for you, but by the time we had, you weren't there anymore, and we couldn't go back any earlier. It would have altered the time line too much. That's what he told me at-"

"It's all right, Rose. You don't have to explain anything. I figured that something major had happened. I put two and two together once I saw pictures of your traveling with another man, stepping out of the TARDIS." She was close to rambling, and Jack didn't want to worry about causing her any more stress than necessary.

The blonde sniffed a bit and looked down at her hands that were sitting on the comforter. She took a deep breath before lifting a hand to shove some hair behind her ear. "Do you know if the TARDIS has been seen anywhere else?"

"No. Well, not the Doctor you know. Previous incarnations are on the record, and they've been popping up every so often, but otherwise, I don't know. I'm sorry Rose." He placed a hand under her chin and lifted her head so that she was looking at him. "If you want, I'll help you find him. I have a few questions about what happened on Game Station, and I think only he might be able to answer them."

She nodded as much as his hand allowed her to, and tried to offer him a small smile. They both knew that it was the best that she could offer at the moment, all things considered.

"Look, how about I give you a bit of a tour of this place, since neither of us know how long you're going to be here?" he offered, trying to take her mind off of things.

"That sounds like it might be a good idea. I think it might be nice to see this world again. Hopefully it hasn't changed too much."

"Nah. Cardiff is the same as always," he assured her. "Shops and restaurants still all over the place. The only difference is one less group of cannibals and fewer aliens."

Rose shot him a strange look before he raised his hand. "I'll explain it later."

He walked over to the foot of the bed and opened a small trunk, or was it a foot locker? Either way, she hadn't noticed it before. Jack took a blue shirt out of it and brought it as well as her pants, which looked surprisingly clean over to her. He turned his head as she dressed, out of respect towards the woman, though he didn't leave in case she needed any sort of help with anything. He still figured her to be weak from the blood loss and didn't want to risk her falling.

When Rose was dressed, she walked up beside Jack and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Ready?"

"Yeah, come on," he told her, the smile once again on his face. He just hoped the mini tour would be enough to lift her spirits.

As they walked out of his quarters, they talked about some of the smaller changes that had taken place, like Harriet Jones being replaced as Prime Minister due to lack of faith in her health. She managed to keep the job, but many of the people of Britain didn't believe that she'd been well enough to carry on for one more term. Rose then went on to comment about how she had a feeling that the Doctor had something to do with it, recounting the events of the last Christmas she'd spent with her family in her proper world.

The memory brought down her spirits a bit, but her mind was quickly taken off the subject when she saw a haunting insignia on one of the glass panes of the room.

"Oh, God… I thought…I thought Torchwood had been-" A look of obvious horror crossed her features as Jack walked a few paces ahead of her.

"Destroyed in London. There are different branches of it, Rose. Welcome to Torchwood Cardiff," he told her, before finally turning around enough to see the look on her face.

* * *

_  
_

_Author's Note: I know I promised the Doctor Soon, and I still promise that, but I felt that if I tried that this chapter, it'd come out about ten pages longer than I had planned. The next chapter will herald his return though. I promise. _

Anyways, please remember to comment if you liked. Thanks.  



	4. Shalott

Dårlig ulv  
By Maetel

Chapter 4

_She sees a horse and rider pass  
She says, "This man's gonna be my death  
'Cause he's all I ever wanted in my life _

_- Shalott by Emilie Autumn_

* * *

Rose backed away from Jack as she scanned the room looking for some way out. Her insides were tightening painfully. If he had any idea what had happened, how could Jack be working for them? She noticed a platform leading off from where she was standing that headed towards a desk.

"Rose, calm down. Let me-"

"What? Explain? Tell why and how you came to work for the company that almost destroyed two different worlds? A company that caused the death of millions of people on this planet?" she stated as she took a slow step onto a connecting bridge, trying to make sure that she didn't fall in.

"Rose when I wound up back in this time, there was no where else that I could go. Torchwood found me and knew who I was from the times I traveled with you and the Doctor. I knew about what happened, and when I found out about what happened to you and your family, I wanted to try and make a difference. Keep that from ever happening again. That's why I work here, watching the Rift." Jack's voice was a cross between soothing and worried. He'd never thought about what Rose's reaction might be to Torchwood.

"You can't change it, Jack," she told him simply, though one look at her could tell that her reasoning was anything but. "I tried and in the end, it almost cost me my life. They cost me my family! They were the reason I'm here. They were trying to capture me because of something I had no idea about. Because of two words and a decision I am going to regret more than anything."

"What are you talking about, Rose" he asked, trying to draw nearer to the blonde, though she seemed to be taking a step back for every one of his. He didn't want to risk tackling her in case he wounded her more than what she already had been. She looked fine enough, but she could still be weak.

"Weren't you wondering about the wound? Why I had it? Where it came from, despite how it looks so blatantly obvious that it wasn't created by an Earth weapon?" she asked, her voice pleading, in an attempt to appeal to the person she knew, as though he and the person before her were two different people. "Jack, the Torchwood of the Earth where I was tried to capture me because of... They shot me just to stop me from getting away. I spent two years working for them, and the first sign of anything alien left me as a thing to be tested."

"Rose. That won't happen here," he told her. "I won't let it happen."

He watched as she seemed to take his words to heart, though the appearance was shattered when he heard the door open. Both he and the blonde turned their heads towards the entrance, watching as Gwen walked in, saying that she'd forgotten her license.

He called out to the brunette, but it was too late. Rose had taken off running, barging past Gwen, knocking the woman to the ground, before the officer had any idea what exactly was happening. Jack called out for her to follow Rose, hoping that his friend wouldn't get too far. She was panicking and the last thing he wanted to happen was for her to get hurt.

Meanwhile, Rose was finally reaching the upstairs area of the hub, and dashed out the door. She stopped for a moment, looking around in shock. It'd figure that Torchwood would be right next to the rift. It was where the TARDIS had fueled up. She sniffed, realizing that tears had started to fall unbidden from her eyes. There wasn't time for that though. She knew most agents of Torchwood were trained to take care of business fast. She had to-

Her thoughts were cut short by the sound that she considered all too familiar. The whining, grinding noise that was almost like a siren. The wind started up almost instantly, blowing strands of blonde hair into her face, stinging her eyes, though she wasn't sure if it was the memories bringing forth the tears or the hair that had hit her sensitive eyes.

She turned when she heard the sound of foot steps running up behind her. Jack and Gwen stopped as the TARDIS began to fully materialize, though once the wailing had died, Jack stepped closer, moving up beside Rose who was standing there frozen. The TARDIS was almost two meters away, and anyone who knew Rose could see that her expression was one of fear mixed with hope.

Slowly, the door opened, and out stepped one leg of someone who appeared to be turned. It wasn't as Rose remember. Instead of the brown and cadet blue that Rose had finally been able to place, the pants were blue with some foggy color that badly stood out. Gone was the white cloth of the Chucks he wore, replaced with red. It made the blonde wonder just what had happened.

Her gaze traveled up the body of the man, noting that he was still adorably scrawny. The frame was still almost completely swallowed by the brown trench coat he'd always worn.

It wasn't until her eyes reached his face that she realized that he was standing there, staring at her in disbelief. He seemed to be unable to say anything, which was more of a shock to Rose than anything. The man was never speechless. At least, he never had been.

Then again, maybe he was as shocked as she was, though she never really knew. The minute she heard his voice, something in her head clicked, and she promptly fainted.

- - - - -

The Doctor had received a distress call via the slightly psychic paper, though what exactly had drawn him to Earth in the year 2009. He knew that Jack was taking care of the rift in Cardiff, but he was never one to ignore a cry for help.

Besides, it might take his mind off of the fact that Martha had decided to stay on New Earth. He'd taken her there, wanting to make sure that everything had worked itself out a few years following the lovely plan that the Sisters had been working with. Martha had found herself a new planet with people in need of Doctors and she knew that it was her place.

It had hurt when the woman had decided to leave, but he understood her reason. She thought she could do a lot of good, and considering how the woman was a fast learner, he didn't doubt she'd be helping out fast. The worse part about her leaving though. The TARDIS was once again feeling empty. Lifeless. There was no one to bring any sort of exuberance within the walls of the old girl and after over 900 years, he wasn't exactly the best person, despite how he had regenerated.

He gently stroked the console as the TARDIS made its way back to the Earth as he had grown used to it. Rose, Donna, and Martha had all been from relatively the same time period. England hadn't changed too much over the course of eight years, and that lack of change made the Doctor feel like there was a weight on his chest.

Yes, the pain had lessened since he last said goodbye to Rose Tyler, but only because he forced himself to think on other things after a while. Ignore the way his hearts contracted. He slept less than he usually did, which was saying a lot. Every time he tried, he saw her face. The tears she'd cried during their goodbye. The tears that fell when she'd admitted that she loved him.

The center column had stopped its activity. They'd reached their destination. He almost contemplated talking to Jack and seeing if he would want to resume traveling. He quickly discarded the idea. He knew the role Jack was to play in the future, but he had to admit that it was tempting. The world was going to change and Jack had to be there. Only interfering when absolutely necessary. That was his way

He looked up at the TARDIS' center column, noticing that it seemed to be humming, almost happily. He knew the ship could seem temperamental but… He never quite understood it. The ship would forever be a mystery in some ways. That's why he would never give it up unless he had no other choice.

With a sigh, the Doctor walked towards the doors of the TARDIS and opened it, though he turned back when the console made a rather odd noise. He looked at it to see if something had happened. It looked perfectly fine, so he decided to check it out once he figured out who was calling him.

He turned his attention back to the world outside and stopped. Every thing just froze in place when he saw her. Same blonde hair, long like when he first met her. Same eyes, less eyeliner though. She was still beautiful though. There was his Rose Tyler. The wonderfully aggravating blonde he thought lost.

"H-How?" he asked, though he didn't get an answer. Instead, she collapsed. He was moving to catch her in a moment, along with Jack. Leave it to the Captain to be the one to find her first.

He carefully knelt down, as he tried to keep from dropping the young woman. He was afraid that if he did, he'd wake up from some dream that would leave him trying to avoid closing his eyes again, for a long time. He gently pushed a lock of hair out of her eyes. It was then that he noticed how badly his hands were trembling.

What power she had over him. He'd not seen her in so long and yet he still couldn't seem to keep himself from shaking with some over powering emotion.

He looked up to Jack who was standing over the two of them. "Jack! It's great to see you again! Mind helping me get Rose somewhere where she isn't laying on concrete?"

Jack blinked, taken aback by the man's manners. The Doctor he knew had been rather… blunt, but this one seemed rather rude. Then again, that was how he'd been described by Queen Victoria in her journal entries recording the time she stayed at Torchwood manner.

With a shake of the head to clear his mind, Jack nodded and carefully gathered up the blonde in his arms, allowing the Doctor to lead him into the TARDIS. Before entering completely, he turned back to Gwen and smiled. "Call the others and tell them that I got in touch with someone who can take care of our mystery girl." He watched as she nodded, pulling out her mobile phone. Leave it to human nature to leave a person in shock enough to make them follow orders properly.

Jack ignored the urge to laugh softly and walked over to the seat he'd seen Rose lounge upon so many times. He laid her down on it carefully, making sure she wouldn't fall off before looking to the Doctor who seemed to be somewhere between happy, if there were a strong enough word, and terrified.

"She's going to be all right," he said, trying to draw the Doctor out of his quiet thoughtfulness.

"What? Oh. I know. I never doubted that she wouldn't be. I'm just trying to figure out how she got back. I thought the passage had been sealed permanently," the Doctor said softly. "With her trapped on the other side."

"The rift's been getting more and more active over the past few months. Things and people have been coming through it more and more frequently," Jack explained. "Our sensors detected a new bit of activity and when I went out to investigate it, I found her outside our door, unconscious."

"Found her unconscious? What'd happened to her?" The guilt that was rising up in him was obvious. He thought she'd been safe in the other universe.

"I don't know exactly. From what she's said, she was being chased by the Torchwood where she was because of something. She didn't say what though," the former time agent stated.

The Doctor was once again about to speak but the attention of both men was drawn by the quiet muttering of the blonde. "Bad Wolf. They were after Bad Wolf…"

The Time Lord was by her side in an instant, kneeling down next to her. He looked at the delicate face of the woman before him and swallowed hard when he saw a hauntingly familiar golden glow filling the woman's irises.


	5. Counting Down the Days

Dårlig Ulv  
By Maetel

Chapter 5

_How've you been  
It's just the usual here  
And days are feeling like years  
And every day's without you_

_- Counting Down the Days, Natalie Imbruglia_

Rose knew she was dreaming before she even woke up. Everything was off. It was too right. She was back on the TARDIS with the Doctor and Jack. They'd not all been together since… Well, since before the Doctor had regenerated. Had it really been that long though?

She smirked when she saw the Doctor. He was wearing a suit that didn't quite suit him. At least not as well as the brown with blue pin stripes did. This suit was blue with fog colored stripes running down it. She wondered what brought about the change. She'd never dreamed of him being any different than what he had been before. Perhaps it was the change of scenery.

She almost wanted to believe that maybe she actually was on the time machine, her only reason for not was the disconnected feeling she'd had when she- She didn't want to ruin the happiness of the locale by thinking of past mistakes. Just enjoy the disembodied feeling until whatever revelation made itself known through her dreams. She was starting to think of it as a sort of less annoying version of what Cassandra had done on New Earth- The body moved, the mouth talked, but the mind had nothing to do with it.

Rose took note that the Doctor was staring at her, concern etched into her features. She was lying down. That much she could tell. Otherwise everything wouldn't be turned over. She, at the moment, had resigned herself to simply not being able to get up. It wasn't a very good perspective, but she was able to see the Doctor, and for now, she was happy. It was a rare feeling lately, and for now, she was holding on to it.

She knew that what she was seeing was no dream when she heard him speak, his voice soft and worried, a hinting of fear coloring the tone. "Rose? What do you mean they're after the Bad Wolf?"

He'd thought she'd forgotten about that. At least, her connection to it. She'd been the Bad Wolf, but last he'd noted was that her memory of it had been wiped. To hear those words coming from the blonde… His hearts skipped a beat each. To see the golden glow fill her eyes again. He thought he saved her from the effects of the Time Vortex. He'd given up his life and regenerated to save her.

"They hunted the Bad Wolf because she was not like them. She is incomprehensible to them. Alien. The child was in danger, and her life needed to be saved. Bad Wolf awoke once again to save herself, and there were witnesses. They relayed what they saw and once again she was in danger. Bad Wolf saved herself by returning to her home. To where she would be safe."

"You risked destroying two wor-"

"No. Bad Wolf transcends the rift," the blonde explained, trying to ease the worries of the Doctor. She slowly sat up and then stood. She walked over to Jack, reaching up to place a gentle hand on his cheek. "Her connection to the captain remains throughout time and space, maintaining him."

"You mean Rose is the reason why I'm still alive," Jack said, more for his own admittance than an actual question. He smiled down at the blonde figure. "I knew there was more than one reason to fight for her, though I'd do it even if there wasn't."

A brilliant smile shone on Rose's face at Jack's words, though whether or not it was hers or whoever was in control was an enigma the Rose inside her own mind couldn't quite figure out.

The look faded as she turned her attention to the worried looking alien. The face that had worn countless expressions was adorned by a look of mourning and worry.

She slowly drifted up to him, her feet silently moving over the grated floor of the TARDIS. "My Doctor…" she murmured softly, her hand moving up to his arm. "I called you that the last time I saw you this way. You needn't worry this time-"

"Needn't worry? The power of the time vortex was enough to force me to regenerate, and yet, there's still a piece of it buried within the body of a human girl who's not even twenty-five yet? What am I going to do? Do a little song and dance?" he snapped.

"We could not leave entirely. Never before have we left a previous vessel entirely without choice. Bad Wolf, Jack, and you shall always carry a part of us. It is a part of how we continue on after what has happened," she explained, the softness of her voice calming the Doctor's worry slowly. "It is never enough to cause harm. We stay behind to watch and protect. Very few can even notice us. You never did, Doctor. Neither did Lady Cassandra when she overwhelmed Rose's consciousness. We will commit no harm, and should any befall her due to our existence, we shall leave."

They all stood there, Rose within the confines of her own mind, listening to this stranger with a familiar face. Jack seemed rather curious as she spoke, not having heard what had taken place over the past years, and to hear about someone overwhelming Rose in any way made him want to learn all the more. What sort of danger had she been in?

The Doctor sighed. "But she's been placed in danger."

"And she was wounded when she was brought here," Jack reminded her. "Because she was running due to your existence."

"But if not for our existence, Bad Wolf would still be trapped on that other world, lost and without herself."

"I don't want to hear any arguing. Please," the gangly brunette said, sounding tired. He lifted his hands to gently cup Rose's cheeks, his thumbs gently gliding over her cheekbones. "Will you let her take back control?"

"Of course. All that was needed was for Rose to try, or for one to ask. We were not meant to be awakened to such prominence again. We just felt that it might be wise to explain what has transpired. Bad Wolf was under duress, and I believed it might ease her spirit to know the truth. To understand how she was returned home."

The Doctor smiled in relief. "Thank you for that. Now, may we have her back. I'm sure you understand how long it has been since-"

She raised a hand to his lips to quiet him. She nodded slowly, and in a moment, the golden glow was gone from her eyes, leaving the quiet but vibrant brown he knew so well. He smiled at her, quiet relief in his expression. He laughed softly saying a hushed. "Hello."

"Hi," Rose whispered back. She lifted her hands up to his, relishing in their warmth. She really was back in her own reality. In her own universe. Back with the Doctor.

"You're actually back," he said, a laugh rising up in him. After everything he'd learned, he was finally just having a moment to take in her presence. The exuberance that she always inspired in him had returned with her. His hands left her face, only because his arms were wrapping around the small blonde, wrapping her in an embrace.

Rose closed her eyes, taking a moment to enjoy the simple pleasure that came from being in his arms again. Her arms came up to wrap about his midsection, holding him to her, not wanting to let go. She breathed in deeply, inhaling his scent. He still smelled of nag champa like one of the little eclectic shops that her mom loved to buy oils from and a sweet scent that she'd never been able to identify.

The thought of Jackie caused Rose to tear up. She buried her face in the Doctor's jacket, trying to reign in some of the pain she felt at the reminder of how much she'd left behind in the other universe. Her hands balled up into fists, clutching to the dark brown material.

The Doctor threw Jack a confused glance, unsure as to what might have upset Rose. He'd seen her cry before, but never try to hide the tears she shed. He gently stroked her hair, trying to get her to look up at him, or at least say something. Nine hundred years, and seeing women crying still made him feel like some teenaged Earth boy.

As though sensing his discomfort, Rose sniffled, trying to quell the urge to let her tears continue falling. "I-I'm fine. Just… Everything's finally getting to me. I'm home. I'm back in… And I can't seem to keep from wanting to go back and make sure that everyone's all right."

A frown crossed the youthful looking face of the Doctor as he finally realized the pieces of the puzzle that were missing. There hadn't been any slaps across the face. No impromptu, unwanted snogs. And no snide comments from the local idiot. In the process of returning, Rose wound up being forced to leave her family behind.

"Oh, Rose. I'm so sorry," he said in a hushed tone. He gently took her hand and ducked down so that he could look her in the eye. "You know I'd do anything possible to get them back for you if I could."

The blonde nodded and sniffled a bit. "I know. I just… I've gotten so used to them being the only connection I had to everything I knew. I don't… I'm going to miss them."

He pulled her close once more, resting his chin on the top of her head. She leaned on him, reminding herself of what she'd regained. She may not be able to talk to them, but she might still be able to see past versions of the ones she knew.

Jack cleared his throat, trying to make sure that the others still knew of his presence. He almost felt like he was intruding on a moment between two lovers. Considering the history he'd seen between the girl and the man's past self, he wouldn't have been surprised if they had eventually gotten to that point. Though this new face. He'd noticed the differences in personality, but the feelings for the blonde seemed to be stronger.

The Doctor looked over to the captain a small, albeit, worried smile on his face. He sighed and looked down at the blonde, as much as he could anyways.

"How about we go get some fresh air? A walk through the city. See how much Cardiff has changed. Maybe have a while to get reacquainted with our friend Jack here," he suggested, gently stroking her hair.

Rose nodded and looked back towards the man she'd been running from just a short time before. She was at a loss about what to say. In her mind, he was a strange combination of ally and enemy. He'd been a dear friend for part of a year, once she'd gotten over the initial sex appeal of the former time agent. She was glad that he'd ditched the tight tees and jeans, though the forty's style was a little odd, though they did suit him.

Seeming to sense her unsure feelings, Jack started towards the door saying, "I'm gonna go make sure Gwen is all right. Seeing three people walking into a blue box and not come out for a good while might make her worry."

Rose pulled away from the Doctor and walked after the 51st century man, stopping him before he walked out. She took his hand and sighed. "Jack, I'm sorry. Just… Torchwood has cost me so much that I… I can't help but think the worst when it comes to anything connected to it."

Jack smiled at her, giving her hand a gentle squeeze while lifting the other to her face. "I know what the Torchwood of this world's done up to now. I am trying to keep all of it from happening all over again. I want to stop the mistakes from happening all over again. You just have to believe in me."

The blonde offered him as much of a smile as she could, which was considerably better than earlier. "I will," she told him. "Now, let's go make sure that Gwen isn't going crazy out there."

The two walked down the ramp, and started out the door before Rose released his hand and turned, waving for the Doctor to go with them. With a shake of the head, happy to see the blonde back in such good spirits, he walked after them, a bit of a bounce in his step. She took his hand, grasping it tightly, as all three stepped back out into Cardiff.


	6. All I Need

Dårlig ulv

By Maetel

Author's Note: Mention of Ace in this chapter. As I've gone back and watched some of the 7th Doctor serials, I couldn't help but like Ace. She was just great. I wanted to pay some homage to the old companions, and since Ace was my favorite aside from Rose, I figured it would be her. As for everything mentioned, I drew some reference from the page about Ace on wikipedia. I'm carrying on about her from what was said to have been intended by the production team before the classic series ended. That's my canon, even if it didn't get played out. :(

* * *

_Can you still see the heart of me?  
All my agony fades away  
When you hold me in your embrace..._

"All I Need" by Within Temptation

The evening faded into dawn as the three moved throughout Cardiff, depositing them in an all night pub. They talked animatedly, the Doctor occasionally making an over the top movement, but their night came to as close as Jack pulled his mobile from his trouser pockets. It wasn't until a soft bit of profanity escaped the Captain that the three realized their long reunion was going to be ended because of trouble.

He looked to Rose and the Doctor apologetically. "Something is going on with the rift. My team is checking it out, but I wouldn't feel right letting them have all of the fun." The cockiness that Rose noted had been missing for most of the night during their discussions had returned. She smiled as she realized just how much he had grown used to his job. From what he'd explained, his job was entirely different from the one she'd had over the two years on her other Earth. He seemed to have some sort of passion that she lacked.

She'd liked working at the Torchwood to some extent, but the past never let her find peace in her work. Neither did the fact that one universe's version had caused her to be ripped from the world she'd grown up in and explored. The universe that she'd fallen in love in. Maybe she never gave the other universe a chance in all honesty. She tried though. She tried to move on with her life. But nothing ever seemed to work right. The blonde was drawn from her thoughts when she felt Jack's hand on her shoulder, a concerned look on his face.

"You all right?" he asked her. He was sure that she'd healed properly. Well, as sure as he could get without a full examination. There were things that he wasn't sure about when it came to some of the alien healing devices. Nanogenes did the job, but the last branch to have access to nanogenes was presently lost. The healing wrap was the only one he knew to work well with more than just minor wounds on humans. It did it's job, as he had expected. The thing was, she was starting to look physically drained. She seemed more like something was on her mind, thought, and it was weighing her down.

"Wha...? Yeah, I'm fine, Jack. Just thinking about... well, everything," she said with a wave of her free hand. She smiled when she felt the Doctor's hand gently tighten its grip on her own as a way of giving her his support without saying anything. Even after two years away from him, Rose hadn't forgotten how good she felt when he was there, offering her his hand.

He offered the pair a smile before leaning over a chair that had been between them and kissing Rose's forehead lightly. "I'll see you again, soon," he told her before raising his eyes up to the Doctor.

"You're not going to snog me again are you? As good of a kisser you are, I'd rather not have the taste of bad coffee and mixed drinks flavoring the rest of my evening," the Doctor quipped, the grin on his face.

The Captain placed a hand over his heart. "You wound me! I was just gonna tell you to take care of her," Jack stated. "Not that I should have to say anything." He smiled at the both of them. "If you two feel like staying here a while, you can order anything you'd like. Just I wouldn't trust the beer. People have a tendency to forget after drinking those. And not in the best of ways." He sighed a bit before smiling. "Anyways, feel free to keep the shirt. I've got plenty of them."

Those words almost made Rose wonder why he chose to tell them that. Then she remembered how researching had been trying to find a sort of memory wiping substance. Maybe the one on her home plane had managed to concoct one. Especially with Jack's knowledge.

She watched as he walked out of the pub, leaning over, resting her head on the Doctor's shoulder, closing her eyes. She wasn't sure how long she'd been unconscious, but she was still tired. The adrenaline of finding herself in Torchwood combined with being reunited with the Doctor had kept her awake for a good few hours, but it was catching up with her.

"Are you all right?" she heard him ask, his voice washing over her like a soothing balm. She'd missed the sound of his voice more than she'd realized. The way it sounded when he was speaking only to her. The tone that made her feel more than loved. She smiled and nodded slowly.

"Yeah. I'm just exhaus-" She raised her hand to cover her mouth as she yawned. "-ted. I was feeling fine, but I guess the day's finally getting to me. At least, I'm not sore. I guess Diluran healing devices are better than research and development had figured."

Rose could almost feel the sudden surge of worry come off of the Doctor. She looked up at him as he shifted to look at her. She blinked in confusion at the way he was studying her.

"Did you say Diluran?" he asked, his voice hardening a bit, becoming more serious.

"Yeah. Jack used a Diluran healing wrap on the wound I'd gotten before coming back here," she said, nervousness rising up inside her, causing her chest to tighten a bit. The Doctor was known for his manic mood swings, but she'd forgotten how drastically he shifted.

"Remind me to talk to him about his choices of healing devices," he said. "It's no wonder you're exhausted. Dilurans have a tendency to have more energy than most human children. Well, more than a group of human children. The healing wrap draws it's power from the person it's healing. It uses their energy, leaving them a little sleepy. To use it on a human... It's- It's unheard of!"

Rose looked at him, her hand coming up to where her wound had been on her side. "Are there any other side effects that Jack and everyone there might not have known about?"

The Doctor blinked and made a quiet dismissive sound. "Oh no. I'm just surprised you'd be awake. If the message I'd been getting on the slightly psychic paper is any sort of signal, you've only been either in this universe or conscious for a good twelve hours. I'm not sure whi-" He pulled out the small booklet and looked at it with a frown. "Well, that's weird. I thought it was you who was sending out the signal. Well, the part of you still influenced by remnants of the Time Vortex to be more precise now that I know about that."

"Is there anyone else who might be able to do that?" Rose asked, her voice quiet with her body growing more and more fatigued.

"I'm not sure. It'd take a powerful mind to reach through into the Time Vortex. The Face of Boe did, but that's only because he's had more years than even I can imagine to practice. It led me directly to Cardiff. I'd leave it to Jack and his crew, but something about it-" He sighed and ran a hand through his still unruly hair. He took notice of just how the woman beside him looked. "How about I let you get some rest? We can look into this once you're feeling up to it."

Rose smiled sleepily. "That sounds like a good idea. But where am I gonna sleep?"

A quiet chuckle could be felt coming from the Doctor. "Your room on the TARDIS of course. It's still the way you left it. Well, you're jacket's laying on your pillow-"

"My room's still there?" Her eyes were on him. The fact that her room still existed was something she hadn't considered. "I never... I'd have thought that-"

"I never truly forget my companions. I always leave their rooms open so that I'll have something to remind me of them. The room with the various empty canisters and backpack and big poofy jackets with patches-" He motioned a bit, puffing out his cheeks to imitate the sleeves. "That was Ace. You would have liked her," he said, almost mentioning that they shared a similarity of being a sort of wolf, though Rose might not find that amusing. Besides, it wasn't enough to mention. "She wound up staying in Paris in the 19th century. She found her calling there. I wanted to take her to Gallifrey- To the academy where I'd become a Time Lord, but I wasn't going to force her to stay. Doubt she would have let me, in the end."

Rose smiled, listening as he went on about his companions. When she'd last traveled with him, the only one she knew of was Sarah Jane, and even then, he only told her what was necessary. He'd changed. Opened up. It almost made her wonder how long it had been since he'd last seen her. How many other companions he'd had since her.

"Maybe I can meet her one day?" the blonde suggested before letting loose another yawn.

"Maybe," he said with a smile before standing. "For now, let's worry about you getting some rest. We've got things to take care of first if we want to go visit Ace at any point."

She nodded slowly, moving from her seat into a wobbly stand. She felt the Doctor's hand on her shoulder, steadying her. She felt his hand leave after a moment only to feel his arm come up to wrap around her shoulder, guiding her from the table and to the door. She lifted her hand up to tangle her fingers with his as they walked.

The Doctor took the first moments of their trek back simply studying her face. The faint light from the sun kissed her features, tinting her face a gentle color matching, if not surpassing, the beauty of her name sake. Her hair, though a bit disheveled, made the perfect frame for her features.

She slowly breathed in his scent, enjoying the scent that was so distinctly his. There were no distractions this time. No one talking. No cars driving by. No fear tainting the smell with the faint scent of sage. The smell was just pure Doctor, plain and simple, and it made her feel like she was really home.

The return to the TARDIS had taken half an hour, and the Doctor was glad that Jack had brought them so close to Torchwood for a drink. By the time they were halfway there, Rose had been leaning so much on the Doctor that he'd wound up picking her up. Granted, she'd fussed a bit, but he eventually got her to agree, telling her that it was better than her falling down asleep. He smiled down at the blonde who had wound up knocked out within five minutes, her head resting on his chest, just next to his heart.

He managed to open the door of the TARDIS without waking Rose. He looked towards the console as the TARDIS began humming with a smirk. "That's why you were sounding so odd when we arrived. You knew she was back before I did," he whispered, gaining a soft flash of light from the console. "Remind me to ask you about what else you know that I don't."

He then slowly made his way through the corridors of the ship until he finally reached Rose's room, finding the door conveniently opened for him. He laid Rose on her bed, taking extra care to pull down her comforter until it was out from beneath her and gently draped it over her. He sat beside her for a moment, reaching out to brush a strand of hair out of her face.

He was slowly rising from the bed, intending to head out of the room and let Rose rest, but the young woman in question caught his hand before he got too far.

"I thought you were asleep," he said, his voice the gentle whisper that he only spoke in for the blonde.

"Your moving woke me up," she quipped tiredly before looking at him with pleading eyes. "Doctor, would you- I mean... Is it all ri-" She sighed and smiled at him. "Stay with me. Just for a while. Just so that I can prove to myself that this isn't all just some crazy dream."

The Doctor was almost going to try and refuse her, but he was feeling the same way. Her being back in the proper universe was a crazy idea, but Rose being back in her room, on the TARDIS, so close that he could breathe in her gentle scent of lilac, acai berry, and mango lip balm, was a dream that he'd denied himself for years.

"For you," he told her. He watched as she shifted over a bit, giving him room to lie down beside her and stretch out on top of the comforter. He stretched out an arm letting her use it as a pillow as her arm draped itself across his chest. He felt her adjust her position so that she was comfortable, every little movement sending tiny shocks through him.

He smiled as he watched her, felt her, as she drifted off to sleep once again. He felt the temptation to move rise up in him, but snuffed it out, instead opting to place a soft kiss on the top of her head. He then looked up at the ceiling of the room until he too felt the urge to sleep overcome him.


	7. You Found Me

AN: Hey everyone, sorry for the wait. Circumstances and life got in the way as well as my muse was just being picky. Hope everyone enjoys this chapter. I'll try to post again soon.

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Rose woke, for once, sure that she was back in the world she'd so often dreamed about. She'd felt so often that she'd been dreaming upon waking up that she'd given up on the idea. The idea was all the more forgotten when she heard the room to her door open and looked over to see the Doctor with his head sticking in the doorway.

"Get some rest?" he asked, looking at her over his spectacles. His voice was softer than she remembered, though that could just be him being considerate.

She smiled at him, lifting a hand to push some of her hair back. "Yeah. I feel like I've caught up on every minute of sleep that I'd missed over the years. I didn't sleep for a week, did I?"

His chuckle, a warm sound that Rose felt couldn't compare to any other noise, let her know that she hadn't, though it didn't answer how long she'd actually been resting.

"Well, a week as you know it, no," he told her. "More like a good day and a half, but I'm sure that there are those who'd say it felt like one."

"And who might be the person to say that?" she asked, slipping easily back into the light banter she had missed so dearly. Anything to keep him talking was a good thing. To hear the comforting tones that colored his voice and made his words so addictive.

"Well, Jack for one considering he found your mobile," The Doctor told her, a grin working its way onto his boyish features. "Didn't think you still had that considering..."

He trailed off and cleared his throat. Pushing his hand through his unruly hair, The Doctor walked over to Rose and sat on the edge of her bed, his hands clasped on his lap as though unsure what to do with them.

"It was one of the few things I had left. I may not have been able to come home, but it made that idea a little more tolerable. I had some part of you with me. Made me feel like my life hadn't always been about getting up, catching the bus, going to work, coming back home, eating chips, and going to bed. Though in all truth. I think I stopped eating chips after having them for lunch the twelfth day in a row," she stated, with a soft laugh, lifting a hand up to push a lock of hair behind her ear. She didn't know why, but but she was feeling extremely nervous. She hadn't felt this way since she was nineteen and unsure about so much in the universe.

Her anxiousness seemed to calm as he reached out to gently grip her wrist. The pregnant silence that filled her room was only intensified by the way he looked at her.

"From what you told me and what I remember, your life could never been solely those things," he said as his thumb lightly stroked the inside of her wrist, just over her pulse point. "'Rose Tyler, defender of the Earth.'"

The memory of the title he'd given her on that beach in Norway still made her heart clench, and she had a feeling that he could feel the way her heart seemed to stumble through her pulse. She looked down.

"I'm sorry," he said, offering what she felt to be an undeserved apology.

"Don't be," she said. "Everything that happened. You didn't know that it was going to happen. I'm just glad that-"

She was interrupted by the feeling of soft, almost unsure, lips on hers. She recalled three separate kisses shared with her Doctor, though none of them compared to this one. No overwhelming sense of gratitude, no possession that would leave the kiss to be forgotten for a few years, and... Well, no possession in general. This was so much more than the others. This was something that was long awaited, and well worth it.

Rose barely restrained the saddened whimper that threatened to escape when he pulled back. She looked at him almost amazed, though surprise was obvious in her hazel eyes. He wasn't smiling or grinning, though the look in his eyes was all she needed to see to know what was going through his mind. There was a glow to them that reflected all of the happiness that he felt. There was something that she didn't remember seeing in the ghostly image that she'd said her last words to. Something that she hadn't seen since before Elton.

It was hope. She wasn't sure what had brought about the lost light, but it was something that she'd missed seeing in his earthy gaze.

"I'm sorry that I never said what I needed to say," he told her, his voice a soft tone of repentance. "I regretted everyday not saying certain things when I had the chance, and then, after-"

Rose smiled at him with a gentleness and a warmth that made some of the most beautiful creatures he'd ever known seem plain and uncaring.

"The universe is giving us a break," she said, quiet laughter tinting her tone. "There isn't anything to apologize for. We may have been separated, but you found me. You found me when we had no reason to think you would have any reason to."

His chuckle washed through her and made itself a place within her heart, causing it to speed up like she was a teenager all over again. Granted, she was only twenty-three, but she felt like she'd lived more than most her age. It was nice to just feel... human again. A way she'd not felt since Norway. Since she'd last seen him and thereby closed herself off. She wondered what they- A quick shake of the head eased the thoughts of her family from her mind for a moment.

"Couldn't have said it better myself," he said. He took a deep breath before sliding his hand from her wrist and twining their fingers together. "Think you're feeling up to your return trip to somewhere in the universe?"

"I think I'd prefer cleaning up a bit first, but that sounds good," she said. "I don't think I've showered since before I came back."

"Oh, what's a bit of muck considering what we were covered in before," he quipped.

"Well, I did promise to get Jack his shirt back didn't I, and knowing our luck, we'll wind up in some sort of trouble that'll leave it with a couple of holes," she retorted. "Besides, I don't think anyone will appreciate me stinking three day old deodorant and oily hair."

The Doctor grinned playfully before nodding. "All right then! You go shower, and then, I'll take you somewhere that you've never been before. I'm not even sure if I've been there before."

Rose shot him a look of disbelief that soon faded into a mirthful expression. She quickly leaned forward to hug him tightly, taking a moment to simply enjoy the feeling of touching him- holding him again, and when she felt his arms around her, she was almost certain that he was doing the same.

It felt too soon when he pulled back and looked at her. He pushed a lock of hair out of her face, his fingers lightly running along her cheek. She couldn't help the way her cheeks flushed in reaction to his touch.

He smiled at her one more time before rising from where he was sitting and heading towards the door. "Take all the time you need. The universe will be here when you're ready."

She sighed softly as she watched him walk out of her room before flopping back onto her bed. She was back home, and it felt better than she had ever thought it might. She'd been separated from her family, but with the Doctor, it didn't feel as bad as she'd thought it might. So many times before, she'd been willing to sacrifice it all, and now, she'd not had the choice. The idea hurt, but she knew that it was worth it. They'd be safe because of her being gone. She'd be able to see them again. Younger versions, and that made it worth it.

She looked back towards her door and knew that being back was definitely worth it.

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There were centuries and light years separating Rose and the Doctor from their observer. Neither were aware of their images reflecting in the surface of a pool of liquid. To most of the people sitting near the softly muttering figure with long blonde hair, the androgynous looking being seemed to be staring into a clear goblet of a a soft pink liquid that was reflecting the light of the dual suns shining through the windowed wall.

A soft laugh, genderless and chilling, could be heard escaping the figure as it ran a long slender finger over the rim of the glass. Anyone knowledgeable or observant enough would have noticed the soft pulse of light that went from the figure's finger and into the crystal.

"Pardon me, but is there anything else that I can get for you..." The server, a man with a faintly purple tint to his skin and a small bit of bone jutting from his chin, asked. He trailed off as he found the figure's gender to be almost impossible to determine. Long hair hid defining features and oversized clothes left body shape a mystery.

"No," it croaked. This was rather annoying for the young server. He'd just started, and never had he had a problem with telling people apart. Well, unless you counted that one time with the woman who turned out to be an exceedingly gorgeous man. He made a mental note to call Lane when he got off of work.

"Very well," he said with a quick bow before darting off to the next table.

The figure simply shook its head and sucked its teeth as it maintained its attention on the surface of the liquid. The two were walking through the halls of their domicile. He'd heard them call the place TARDIS, though that never really made much sense. It gave him a name to look out for when they arrived. Which they would.

He was sure of it. Prophecies were coming true, and the one that would save his world was coming to fruition. The girl had returned, and he'd seen displays of her power. The man was needed as a means to an end. One which would be dealt with upon the arrival of the girl.

Now, though. All that was needed was patience. One step at a time. The figure had waited for years. Had waited since first hearing the prophecy shortly before the Time Agency had shattered the lives of the believers in the years before adulthood almost three decades before.

"Lintz, perhaps we should be going?" came the suggestion of a young woman, distracting the figure. It looked up to see a woman child with pale red hair colored by dye extracted from various berries found around the planet. She had soft purple skin with shocking yellow eyes. To most of the inhabitants she was beautiful, though her associates left much to be desired. It didn't matter. She was a strict believer in the prophecy that Lintz had told her about, and now, spreading the truth was all that mattered. Her voice was scratchy, as though rarely used, but with use, it might be beautiful "The young ones are getting restless. They wait for the telling of your latest vision, and the impatience of children grows with each passing moment."

The figure nodded, its features still shrouded, but the aura of determination seeped from it. It was time to go and spread the word that the source would be arriving soon, and that the time wasn't too far away.

A small pile of stones of various colors, the currency of the land, rest upon the table innocently. It went untouched, even by the young server who had forgotten the mysterious patron. All that remained was a full goblet and a pulled out seat.


	8. Untitled

No recommended song for this chapter, so I'm taking suggestions for it this time. Feel free to suggest a song through requests. And who ever can guess what Rose is saying when her nose is covered gets a cookie! Or I'll do a challenge/request fic. Just let me know. :)

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When the TARDIS reached its destination, for the second time, the travelers found themselves in the surprisingly clean alley behind what could only be described as a florists. It wasn't so much the people walking past carrying bouquets as it was the fact that the entire structure was covered in flowers. Blue flowers, silver petals, violet leaves. Various colors coated the wall of the building they had parked behind, and the sight brought a smile to Rose's face, leaving the Doctor hoping that they weren't the same flowers from before. Happy Rose was one thing. A drug induced euphoric Rose was another. Especially when she wouldn't stop asking him about how he'd been affected.

Fortunately, it didn't seem like the same flower. The blonde just seemed to be in awe of the sight. She could see from where she stood that not every building had the same floral motif. That made her appreciate the beauty before her all them same. Well, that was until she was struck by the scent of the wall decorations.

Resisting the urge to dart back into the TARDIS, Rose instead opted to cover her mouth. The scent was pungent to say the least, and, despite all of the things she'd seen and smelled while working for Torchwood, her stomach was not prepared for the stench.

"Oh, now _that's_ pungent," she heard the Doctor exclaim as he stepped out of the TARDIS. If it wasn't for the way his face was scrunched up, she wouldn't have been able to tell he was bothered by the smell. "That's beyond pungent. That's borderline noxious."

Rose stood there with both hands covering her mouth, as the stink had penetrated her single hand. She attempted to speak, but it came out muffled. "Er eh smerh o maa, zin i taa ow?"

"What?" he asked, looking at her in pure and utter confusion.

She pointed to the TARDIS before darting inside the blue box. He followed her closely, figuring that he would get a clarification of what she said once within.

It would be a while before he'd get his explanation. Rose was taking in deep breaths and coughing as she struggled to rid her lungs of the rancid smelling air. "Are you all right?" he asked when she didn't seem to be recovering as fast as he would like.

"Yeah," she croaked out. She took another deep breath before clearing her throat. Her voice was still harsh sounding, though that could be attributed to the coughing just moments before. "Sorry. That smell was just a little too much. Didn't think flowers could smell that bad."

The Doctor crossed the short distance between them and stood before Rose, stooping a bit so that he could look her in the face. She blushed faintly at the way he seemed to be studying her face so closely. His hands came up to gently cup the sides of her face, thumbs gently brushing over her cheekbones.

"Do you want to rest a bit before going back out?" he asked in a hushed tone that made Rose feel like she was the only person in the universe. The same tone he used in his other regeneration that night after her first encounter with a Dalek.

After a moment of thought, Rose shook her head. "I've been resting enough. Besides, the scent of the flowers shouldn't carry too far, right? Just get away from this building, and I'll be fine."

"If you start to feel ill, I want you to let me know right away," he told her, sounding more like Pete when he went on missions more than the Doctor. It was sweet, but annoying. She was used to the idea of being someone who treated her almost as an equal. Not as someone who was worried over.

She wasn't going to let it bother her though. The blonde tried to understand. She wouldn't want him put in any sort of harm either, and she had just been hacking up her entire respiratory system. She supposed that the same sort of reaction would be deserved if roles had been reversed. So she nodded and agreed.

He smiled at her, his hands not moving from where they were on her cheeks. His eyes were peering into hers, searching for... Rose didn't know. For a moment, she thought he was going to kiss her, but before he did, he turned away, leaving her more than a little confused. He'd kissed her earlier.

Sometimes men were just confusing. Especially aliens.

"Think we can head back out?" she asked, deciding to try and distract herself from the feeling of disappointment.

"Of course. As long as you're feeling up to it," he replied leaning back against the railing beside the ramp that led to the exit.

"Yeah. More than up to it. That whole coughing thing's passed. Just gonna have to hold my breath or take really shallow breaths considering how using my hands didn't keep the smell from getting to me last time.

The Doctor studied her for a moment with a concerned look before nodding. He'd move the TARDIS if he was sure that they wouldn't land in yet another unfavorable area. First time landing they'd wound up in a field where the substance in the air left him feeling like his pants were far too small in certain areas. He was still trying to maintain strict control over himself. Took far too much to try and make sure he didn't jump Rose when he had wanted to make sure that she was all right.

Knowing their luck, one more landing on the planet would wind up with them stuck in a building with a bunch of unfavorables who would wind up wanting them dead. Besides, there was something about this planet that was sending out a message that was proving too much for the Psychic paper to transpose it all. He didn't quite know the terrain well enough, and the TARDIS was only so good at landing in certain places.

As Rose started towards the door, the Doctor reached out and gently took hold of her arm. When she turned to look at him, she noted that he had pulled out a small handkerchief.

"It might not prove useful, but it couldn't hurt," he suggested, glad to see a grateful smile on her face instead of the look of hurt that he'd seen when he walked away just a moment ago. He hated seeing her with any look but a relatively happy one – realization, joy, laughter, adoration. These were the acceptable ones.

"Thanks," she said before carefully taking his hand, trying not to make him run off to the other side of the TARDIS. Maybe that was the reaction he had to the flowers. Maybe they made him into a prat? When he didn't pull away, she lifted the piece of fabric to her face, taking a moment to breathe in the scent before heading out of the ship. She looked back at the Doctor who had covered his mouth with his free hand.

The pair quickly darted past the flower covered wall and ran a bit further before stopping to catch a proper breath. A relieved laugh escaped the blonde as she breathed in the fresh smelling air. She wasn't sure which she preferred though – the fresh air or the scent of the handkerchief. She looked at the Doctor who seemed to be enjoying the lack of stink as much as she did.

"Remind me not to stop and smell the roses while we're here," she quipped with a laugh as she pushed her hair back out of her face. She looked around at the surroundings before smiling.

"Oh, some of them might not smell as bad as the ones we've come across," he said in an attempt to convince her that the planet wasn't entirely bad. The Doctor walked up and held out a hand for her to take.

"We won't know until we do a bit of exploring," she agreed, taking his hand. While the doctor seemed to have become the master of mixed signals, one constant remained. "So, where to first?"

"I was thinking we go wherever you want. You're first trip off Earth in a while," he said, motioning for her to show where she'd want to go.

"Anything you might want to warn me about?" she asked with a quirked eyebrow. "I mean aside from the plant life of course."

"Now where would the adventure in that be?" he retorted playfully before shrugging. "Besides, I've never actually been to this one. I told you. I wouldn't be sure if I knew where we were when we landed. Where we were when we landed. Try saying that five times fast."

Rose laughed and lightly hit him with the hand that was clasped with his own. "So you back to normal?"

He blinked and looked at her feeling confused for a moment before nodded. "Yup," he said, popping the p for an extra effect. "The smell of those flowers will kill any sort of effect of any substance. The ultimate hangover medicine. Unless you really are hungover. Then you're probably going to be sick as a dog."

Granted this was all bollocks, but he wasn't going to see that hurt look on her face again. Besides, the effects were fading still, and he was sure that he'd be back to normal in a bit. Just don't look anywhere at Rose except her forehead. He could handle that.

Rose laughed and started walking, pointing out shops that only looked appealing until one saw what was within the confines of the walls. Some of the items even had the Doctor blushing, which was saying a bit considering his usual open minded perspective on things.

The two finally reached a small cafe and took a seat at one of the tables. Upon placing their orders, Rose commenced with glaring at the Doctor. "Do I even want to ask why the TARDIS brought us to a planet obsessed with keeping everyone shackled to beds?"

The Doctor cleared his throat and looked slightly uncomfortable. He was going to have to discuss such options with his ship about that at some point soon. "You'd have to ask her yourself. Though that would explain a few things. Namely the flowers and the abse-"

"The flowers?" Rose caught, her glare fading into a curiously amused look. From the look on the Doctor's face, she could tell that he was wishing he'd not brought up the subject. For someone whose previous incarnation enjoyed making random jokes about "dancing," the Doctor was awfully prone to schoolboy behavior. "Is that why-"

"Certain flowers are known to have certain effects on specific species. Human could have completely different reactions than the ones expected," he explained, trying to avoid any of her questioning, though she was having none of that. There were times that he regretted his current form's gift of gab. He was going to have to learn to keep his mouth shut at some point wasn't he?

"While Time Lords have the standard ones?" she retorted, having to suppress a case of the giggles. The idea was highly amusing. Especially considering the behavior he so often exhibited during their travels before.

"I'm not saying anything of the sort," he commented, crossing his arms over his chest. So much for keeping his mouth shut, he might just have to find a way to keep himself from talking altogether.

"But you're not saying anything to deny it," she said as she leaned back in the chair, losing the battle to her laughter. "Those flowers made you-"

"Don't go there," he interrupted, shooting her a mock threatening look that just made the blonde laugh all the more. "I had a biological reaction to those flowers, and that is all that I'm saying."

Rose was tempted to continue on with her annoying of the Doctor, but the look on his face was turning into one that was keeping her from continuing. She'd only seen that look around Mickey and her mother. More specifically when he'd been snogged by Jackie Tyler.

"All right, but it's still funny," she said. She cleared her throat, still leaning back in the seat. She kept her arm around her midsection, trying to ease the stitch in her side that had developed from her laughing. "But I'll stop."

He nodded with a slight grin on his face, silently admitting that though it wasn't entirely funny, he could see _some_ of the humor. After a moment, he shifted in his seat and looked around.

"Didn't think tea would take this long," he said. "Even the civilizations without electricity seem to know how to make drinks faster than this."

"Maybe it takes a while to steep?" Rose suggested as she noticed a young looking man with light green skin walking towards them wearing something close to what the earlier server had worn. Granted, everyone she'd seen seemed to be wearing almost the same thing, so she didn't say anything. She did think that it was odd how he was staring at the small device in his hands and muttering.

She noticed that he wasn't paying attention to where he was going and almost called out when he tripped over the leg of one of the chairs, but it was too late. The young man was flat on the ground with his device about four meters in front of him. She heard him groan as the Doctor moved to help him up, while she picked up the device.

"No!" started the figure as Rose released an almost screech and dropped the object she'd been holding. When the Doctor looked to see why, he took note of how the thing had sprouted various spikes, some of which glinted red in the light.

"You all right?" the Doctor asked, moving up to her side and gently took her hand, examining the small bleeding openings in her palm. He reached into his jacket for the handkerchief he usually kept, only to remember that he'd given it to Rose. He reached around her to pull it from where she'd stuffed it in her pocket once they were clear of the odoriferous flora earlier on. He lightly dabbed at her hand, frowning when it the blood flow didn't seem to be slowing.

"Y-You might want to go get that checked out, if she's bleeding," came a lilting, albeit ancient, sounding voice. The pair looked over to the man pointing to Rose. "Pardon Krezton if he is speaking out of turn, but the Drikston Analyzer's theft deterrent has a solution surrounding the spines it releases that is in part an anticoagulant. It's meant to help identify the thief."

"But she wasn't attempting to steal the device," the Doctor pointed out.

"Krezton knows, and so will the examiner since she is injured no further. Just the Analyzer is tuned to the small set of nano bots injected into the buyer upon purchase. Anyone who it doesn't belong to will be marked until they go to see one of the Health Officials. If the thief tries to escape even after the first deterrent, the Analyzer generates a sort of energy that will incapacitate the criminal," he explained, keeping a distance as he studied the device, seemingly more concerned with it than the injured Rose. "Krezton can lead you there if you wish."

"Thanks," Rose said with a nod. She wasn't worried per se, but she still wanted to get her hand to stop bleeding, and if there was something on the offending device that would stop her blood from clotting, then she wanted to deal with that as soon as she could. She would have suggested going back to the TARDIS, but considering the flowers there and how she wouldn't necessarily be able to cover her mouth very well, this seemed like a good idea.

"Very well. If you'll both come with Krezton," said the young looking man. The two looked to each other before hesitantly following. From where they walked. They could see that Krezton was more than likely working on his device, leaving the Doctor wondering just what it was. Was it the society or the device that demanded such high security? He felt it was something worth investigating once Rose's hand was taking care of.

When Rose seemed to start lagging behind after a while, the Doctor stopped and gently took her hand. The cloth she'd been using to try and hinder the blood flow was almost entirely red. Upon closer inspection of the blonde, the Doctor frowned. There had to be something more to this. Wounds like the one Rose had in her hand shouldn't have been slowing her down so far. She may have suffered blood loss earlier, but she'd been seeming fine.

"Rose?" he asked softly when he realized that she seemed to be swaying a bit.

"I think I might need to sit down for a mo'," she whispered quietly before her knees seemed to give out on her. The Doctor caught her before she hit the ground, carefully gathering her up in his arms. "Too fast," she muttered, blinking rapidly.

As Rose's head head came to rest on his shoulder, the Doctor couldn't help but wonder what exactly was in the substance that made up the anti-theft deterrent on the Analyzer. While humanoid in appearance, the Doctor wasn't quite sure about how the substances in their anti-coagulants would affect a person who actually was human.

"It'll be all right, Rose. Just try to relax," he told her, almost scoffing at his own words. Relax? Relaxing while traveling the universe with him? That'd be the day.


End file.
